The Beach

∨ The Beach ∧

15

Leaving

I drew quickly, sweating despite the early morning chill. There wasn’t time to take the same kind of care over the map as Mister Duck had. The islands were rough circles, the curving shore line of Thailand a series of jagged lines, and there were only three labels. Ko Samui, Ko Phelong, and Eden.

At the bottom of the page I wrote ‘Wait on Chaweng for three days. If we haven’t come back by then it means we made it to the beach. See you there? Richard.’

I crept outside. A light already shone in Françoise and Étienne’s hut. Shivering, I stole along the porch and slipped the map under Zeph and Sammy’s door. Then I collected my bag, locked up my room, and went to the restaurant to wait for the others.

The Thai boy who’d been kicking the coconut husk was sweeping the floor. As I arrived he glanced outside, to check it was as early as he thought it was.

‘You wan’ banan’ pancake?’ he asked cautiously.

I shook my head. ‘No thanks. But I would like to buy four hundred cigarettes.’